Breakdown of Chefen tvivlar på om det finns ett bättre alternativ.
ett
a, an (neuter)
bra
good / well
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
chefen
the boss
det finns
there is, there are
om
if, whether
tvivla
doubt
alternativet
the alternative
Questions & Answers about Chefen tvivlar på om det finns ett bättre alternativ.
Why is på used right before om in this sentence?
In Swedish, verbs that are paired with a specific preposition keep that preposition even when followed by an indirect question. Because the verb is tvivlar på (to doubt), the på stays right before the indirect question word om (whether).
Could I just leave out the preposition and say tvivlar om?
No, that would sound unnatural to a Swedish speaker. Unlike English, which just says 'doubts whether', Swedish grammar requires you to keep the preposition that belongs to the verb before an indirect question.
Does om mean 'if' or 'whether' here?
It translates to 'whether' in this sentence. In Swedish, om is used both for conditionals (if it rains) and to introduce indirect yes/no questions (whether there is a better alternative).
Why does the sentence use det finns for 'there is' instead of där är?
Why doesn't the adjective bättre have a -t ending to match the ett-word alternativ?
Adjectives in their comparative form (like bättre) are locked in shape. They never take an -a or -t ending, regardless of whether the noun is an en-word, an ett-word, or plural.
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